- Written by Mat Young. Outdoor Professional, Tasmania Guide, and an Ambassador for K2 Base Camp. -

Tested in Tassy: La Sportiva Jackal II & Lycan II Review

My La Sportiva trail runners have taken me a long way, from snowy mountain adventures and trail marathons to light and fast alpine scrambles, these shoes have not only performed but held up remarkably well. Before moving to Tassy I grabbed myself a pair of Lycan II’s and a pair of Jackal II's from the broad range of trail runners that K2 holds.

The Lycans are a medium-distance shoe with lots of cushion and chunky treads on the bottom, great for mud (and snow). The Jackals are light, comfortable and my go-to for anything involving rocky terrain; their grip is incredible though slightly less durable. Like most of us, I suspect, I tend to put far too many K’s on a pair of shoes before I retire them, as a full-time outdoor frother, I’m not made of money! So, these shoes are well past their 500ks, especially the Jackals!

My first long run in my Jackals was during a short climbing trip to Tassy where the weather was less than perfect. We were out at the Tasman Peninsula climbing various sea cliffs and this day was just too drizzly, low cloud hung oppressively above us. It said, ‘find another way to entertain yourselves’. We entered to the Tasmanian trail running guide and picked a 40km loop beginning and ending at Fortescue Bay. The route encompasses Capes Pillar, Huay and essentially most of the Three Capes track. It winds through bush, coastal heath and rainforest, skirting across bare rocky clifftops that fall hundreds of metres to the crashing waves of the Southern Ocean. Not a bad way to rest the fingers.

Designed for runners looking for plush cushion, a wider fit and higher volume, the Jackal II trail-running shoes keep your feet steady and stoked for long runs through rough and technical terrain.

We stocked up on gels and some real food, then cracked on with our run. What an incredible way to experience the Tasman Peninsula, flowing through the dramatic, changing scenery. Shuffling back into Fortescue Bay 7 hours later, on exhausted legs, we did laps of the car park to round the run-up to a marathon. Fair to say, I was very impressed with the shoes, this was an auspicious beginning to a productive relationship with some outstanding footwear.fingers.

Ideal for use on medium distance, training sessions and skyraces, the Lycan is comfortable and the ideal choice for all off-road enthusiasts.

The Lycans have been my regular shoe for many muddy laps through the rainforest of my favourite local trail, Mt Arthur. Here I can trust that they will bite into the steep muddy trail as it winds through the temperate rainforest to the often wind-blown summit. They were tested though, last June when I got it into my head that a snowy winter run up into the Walls of Jerusalem “wouldn’t be that bad.” To be fair to myself, it wasn’t, had I hoped the weather would be a little better? Yes. Did my toes get cold? Bloody oath. But it was a stunning run nonetheless between the myriad tarns and pencil pines, where I startled wallabies from their snowy shelters. The shoes, aside from not being waterproof, gripped the snowy trail as I knew they would and kept me upright as I meandered through the misty valleys into the heart of the Walls.

Most recently, as a shakeout run after a couple of tough training blocks, I chose the Jackals for a light and fast mountain mission where their grip would be essential. The plan was to tick off a couple of Ables linked by one of my favourite days out, the Cradle Mountain Skyline Traverse. I would cover a ton of mountain terrain, a lot of it off-track and relatively technical, before joining the overland track and hooking back to the car as fast as my knees would let me. While they’re not designed for this kind of use, the Jackals were the only shoe for the job, I wasn’t about to run that much in my TX4s! They handled the exposed scrambling like I knew they would, even enabling me to skip a rappel and downclimb a short section of grade-16 rock! Then, when my legs were jelly, they came into their own on the jog back along the overland track.

Even after all of this abuse and far too many kilometres, the shoes remain comfortable, grippy and hole-free. They have been tested in Tassy and passed with flying colours.